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Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Bendy buses and expensive parking slots

We are becoming the laughing stock of the world and we are setting text book examples of how not to do things.

London mayor Boris Johnson told the Conservative Party conference that:

" he kept his promise to Londoners to abolish the long buses ......the unpopular bendy-buses are now clogging up the streets of Malta"

This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth no matter how much lipstick the Ministry and Transport Malta try to put on pig's face.

And government paying EUR 32000 for the courtesy of using an MCP parking slot for the next 94 years but paying in advance for them over the first 10 years is already excessive payment with public funds to accommodate certain friends. EUR32000 is a premium price for a parking slot anywhere in Malta and buying 100 of them with only time restricted right to use, rather than full ownership, is evidently paying over the top retail price rather than a discounted wholesale price.

But what is particularly insulting is that the government simultaneously extended the concession of the whole car park to the private operator on very generous terms. This is a text case of how not to do things, of how to abuse taxpayers funds and how to lose money by selling low and buying high.

Hats off to Architect Mugliett for resigning from the Public Accounts Committee rather than sanction this rotten deal. The Opposition representatives have a duty to explain why they went along with the government on this one.

Shame to The Times for trying to make a villain out of Mugliett's heroic act. Shame also for censoring my comments on their electronic media criticising them for doing so.